Big shots: Seven season-defining baskets for UConn men

Published 1:00 am, Sunday, April 13, 2014

1. Tyler Olander's 3-pointer against Maryland on Nov. 8: A 17-point lead by the Huskies was whittled to just two when the senior center hit his biggest shot of the season, sinking a 3-pointer -- he made two all year -- with two minutes left to give UConn a 78-73 lead. The Huskies went on to win the season opener at the Barclays Center 78-77.

2. Shabazz Napier sinks Florida at the buzzer on Dec. 2: DeAndre Daniels was in the right place at the right time to tip the ball back to Napier, who calmly lined up and dropped a game-winning, buzzer-beating jumper to give UConn a 65-64 win over the Gators at Gampel Pavilion. The Huskies improved to 8-0 with the victory.

3. Napier's 3-peat shot on Jan.8: After losing three of five, including twice in Texas to open The American, the Huskies needed a win -- badly. A non-league tussle with Harvard at Gampel, which if they lost could have really put the Huskies in a tailspin, turned into a tightly contested battle until Napier's back-to-back 3-pointers over a 49-second span turned a two-point lead into a 55-47 advantage with 1:30 to play. UConn won 61-56.

4. Amida Brimah's three-point play in the NCAA opener against Saint Joe's: A tournament run could have been over before it even began. Even coach Kevin Ollie wanted his 7-foot freshman to pass up the shot and kick the ball out, but Brimah rebounded Napier's miss and laid it in for two with 39 second left in regulation while also drawing the foul. He made that shot, too, to tie the game at 70 and force overtime, where the Huskies pulled away for an 89-81 win.

5. Niels Giffey's 3-pointer against Iowa State in the Sweet 16: The senior from Germany was instant offense for the Huskies much of the season, but on this night, his shot wasn't falling. However, Ryan Boatright still passed him the ball on the wing with 1:44 left and Giffey buried a 3 -- his first points since the opening minute -- to cool a 7-2 Cyclones' run and UConn went on to an 81-76 win.

6. Napier's free throws finish the Spartans: Michigan State was supposed to win this Elite Eight game, the experts were sure of it. Holding a 53-51 lead with 31 seconds left, Napier not only got MSU's Keith Appling to foul out while he attempted a 3-pointer, but he made all three free throws and UConn went on to win 60-54.

7. Ryan Boatright's jumper in the national championship: Napier and Giffey hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give UConn a 54-50 lead with 5:04 to play, but Boatright's step-back jumper from 15 feet with 4:13 remaining put the Huskies up 56-50, and that was the dagger in a 60-54 win over Kentucky.